Richard Boussom Missing Person Case

Mar 17, 2020

Nov 15, 2023

Richard

Boussom

58

28

70 inches

175 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

On a summer day in August of 1995, 28-year-old Richard Wayne Boussom and two companions were enjoying a float down the Skagway River in Skagway, Alaska. The group was using inner tubes to navigate the waterway, a seemingly idyllic way to spend the day. Their leisurely trip took a sudden and tragic turn when they encountered a bridge piling. The force of the river's current pushed their inner tubes into the piling, causing them to overturn. While his two companions were able to fight the current and make it to the safety of the shore, Richard was not as fortunate. He was swept away by the river's powerful flow and disappeared from sight. Immediate and extensive searches of the area were launched in the hopes of finding Richard. Rescue teams scoured the Skagway River and its banks, searching for any sign of the missing man. Despite their exhaustive efforts, no trace of Richard was ever found. The hours turned into days, and the hope of finding him alive began to fade. The beautiful landscape that had been the setting for a day of recreation had become the scene of a heartbreaking loss. The river, a source of life and beauty for the region, had shown its unforgiving power, leaving a family and a community to grapple with the uncertainty and pain of his disappearance. Richard was a white male with brown hair and hazel eyes. At the time of his disappearance, he stood approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed around 175 pounds. A notable and distinctive physical feature was a gunshot scar on his right shoulder. He was last seen wearing a white t-shirt with tropical fish on the back, dark blue sweatpants with a drawstring waist, and a black North Face fleece jacket. He also had on black leather tennis shoes and a tie-dye hat. The official report of his disappearance was filed on August 11, 1995, with the Alaska State Troopers. The case remains a painful memory for those who knew him and a somber reminder of the unpredictable forces of nature. The overview of the case is one of a recreational outing that turned into a tragedy, a young man lost to a swift and powerful river, and a search that yielded no answers, leaving his fate unknown.

Aug 11, 1995

Skagway

Alaska

Skagway Borough

No

77542

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

950053882

1995-08-11

Alaska State Troopers

8840

Brown

Hazel

Hazel

07/15/2026